


So Much For A Quiet Trip To The Bookstore....

by dtbookworm



Category: The Dark Pictures: Little Hope (Video Game), Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Andrew and Ashley bond over their love/fear of the supernatural, Andrew is REAL, Andrew just wanted a book, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Humor, nerds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27816742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dtbookworm/pseuds/dtbookworm
Summary: Andrew heads into an indie bookstore in search of a supernatural book. Luckily, he runs into an auburn haired girl who shares in his love of the undead....and it doesn't hurt that her two glass half empty friends are there. Right?
Relationships: Ashley Brown & Andrew (Dark Pictures), Ashley Brown & Chris Hartley & Josh Washington, Ashley Brown & Josh Washington, Ashley Brown/Chris Hartley, Chris Hartley & Josh Washington
Comments: 7
Kudos: 31





	So Much For A Quiet Trip To The Bookstore....

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! I hope you enjoy this. I LOVED Andrew in Little Hope. Again, Until Dawn and Little Hope remain my top two Supermassive Games and I love it when their universes combine.

It's funny how multiple universes can be bound by spines of a book and what's even _more_ astounding is how a simple turn of a page can absorb you into its world faster than a spark of a lighter. However they cast their spell, whatever witchcraft the pages contained didn't bother Andrew one bit. In fact, he flourished in Poulter's Bookstore. If someone from the outside was looking in, they'd think Andrew was more than a quiet, stone faced young man. No, _here_? In _Poulter's Bookstore_? Oh, he was Icarus and the paperbacks and hardbacks around him where the suns.

Andrew had a _little_ trouble finding the supernatural section. The bookstore was _chaotic_ , overwhelming in the amount of books that had no room on the shelves ands occupied the maroon carpet in teetering stacks. He was caught between two shelves that seemed to hold books in no particular order. When he left the shelves, he nearly tripped over a stack of books on the floor. Only a last minute attempt to grab the JENGA like stack made him breathe out a sigh of relief. Ok, no, he wasn't going to find what he was looking for on his own.

He had to ask for help.

The familiar slimy feeling around his stomach made him cross his arms over it. It's not that he didn't _like_ people. It's just that he wasn't _used_ to sharing his interests with other people. Taylor and Daniel? They were _ok_ and sure, they made him feel...not weird. Sometimes. But they weren't on the same plane as him, weren't in the headspace that was filled with zodiac signs and phases of the moon and witches and demons and basically interests that belonged to a hermit, not an eighteen year old freshman in college. But he had to head back soon since John's Creative Writing class started in forty five minutes.

Andrew pulled up his hoodie of his gray jacket, stuffed his hands deep into his pockets, and tried to find the front desk. Wherever that was.

After walking by P.G. Woodhouse and Emily Dickinson, he finally managed to find the front desk. The desk itself was cluttered with books. Fiction from the looks of it. A lamp with a jade colored shade illuminated the brittle surface of the desk and also the girl behind it.

Shocked, Andrew had to take a step back, but in doing so he bumped the back of his head on a shelf, causing a cook book and a film noir tome to come tumbling down at his sides. Luckily, the girl at the desk didn't seem to notice his clumsiness. She was engrossed in a book, her emerald eyes slowly moving from right to left. For a millisecond, Andrew thought it was Taylor. By association, and the fact that Taylor's the _only_ girl he's ever talked to with red hair, he assumed the girl was her. Only _this_ girl had auburn hair that traveled past her shoulders. A green striped beanie hugged her scalp even though it was fairly warm in here.

Approaching the desk, Andrew cleared his throat. "Um...excuse me?"

The girl continued to read. Typical. Andrew knew he wasn't the most _vibrant_ person, but it wouldn't kill her to how him that he _existed_.

Clearing his throat more, Andrew leaned forward a bit more. "Excuse me? Miss?" He said a little louder.

Gasping, the girl looked up. "Oh, shoot! I'm sorry, so sorry. I wa-here, let me close this." She closed the book and Andrew caught a glimpse of the title. _Anxious People_ by Fredrik Backman. "I'm sorry, I totally get zoned out when I'm reading."

"No, it's ok. I get it." 

"This is such a good story. Have you read it?" The girl tapped the cover of the book. On it, a man and a woman had their backs to the reader, looking over a railing at an expanse of yellow.

"Uh no. No, I don't think I have." Andrew looked around, wondering if this was real. Was he actually _talking_ to this girl? 

The girl's cheeks reddened considerably and she folded her hands over the surface. "My name's Ashley. Ashley Brown. How can I help you?"

"Yeah, I was wondering if...." He couldn't help but mumble. The store was scarce of people, save for an elderly woman reading braille and a sixteen year old emo style kid near the window sill reading anime, but he still didn't want to attract attention. "I was wondering if you, uh, haver any books on, you know, witchcraft."

Ashley didn't seem to be fazed by that question. She didn't say _That's weird_ or _Get the hell out of the store with your weirdness_. After all, it's what he expected since his verbal skills are at ground level. So it was a shock to him when she added casually, and maybe with a little bit of interest, "Oh, that's cool. Yeah, I know the perfect book for you. Just follow me...what's your name?"

"Andrew," the young man simply said. "It's Andrew Clarke."

"Cool. Just follow me up the stairs behind me." The girl moved from behind the desk and pulled at the sleeves of her dark green sweater. Her hands were covered with matching colored fingerless gloves. "And FYI, forgive me if I stop to talk about my favorite books along the way. It's a necessary bad habit."

"No problem."

The two ventured up the spiral staircase. As Andrew had his hand on the railing, he marveled at how...well, how graceful _and_ clumsy this girl was. She hopped the stairs one at a time, nearly tripping but catching herself as she told him about her favorite books. Her tastes were largely mystery and romance which was expected because who doesn't know auburn haired people who love that combination? It was as if this was her home away from home. It wouldn't be surprising if she had a bed in this place. Yeah, Andrew, could definitely see that.

The bookstore, as small as it seemed on the outside, was even bigger on the second floor. The place was a labyrinth filled with books, books, journals, books and...well books. Andrew relished in the smell of ink and must, marveled at the side tables that houses antique 40s style phones. He even allowed himself the smallest of smiles. Not one that reached ear to ear. One that needed a microscope to be able to see. Happiness was as rare as a blue moon, passing quickly like a shooting star that could never be grabbed. 

"Should be around here somewhere." Ashley spun around in a circle at the center of the second floor. "I should know this store like the back of my hand, but it always surprises me."

"How long have you worked here?" Andrew picked up a self help book on trauma, but quickly put it back on the overflowing side table.

"Me? Oh, about a year. So not _too_ long." She moved as gracefully as a figure skater to one of the creaking shelves and caressed the tomes as if they were newborns. "Probably the best job in the whole world. This place really is something. I mean, duh, I _work_ here so I already know that, but, you know."

Andrew decided to take down his hoodie. He ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah. I can see why. Are you an English major too?"

Ashley snorted, but not derisively. "Yeah. The oversized sweater and beanie and gloves alway gives it away, huh?"

"I guess? And the fact that it took me two times to pull you from the book you were reading."

"Yeah," she sighed. "Sometimes I can't help it. Really helps with, you know, trepidation and all that. Just disappearing inside an entire world. It's really cool how authors are able to do that. I mean, it's just one of life's greatest mysteries to me." Andrew saw her face change as if she was being teleported to somewhere where laws of physics didn't apply. It was the same look Andrew had when he was in John's Creative Writing class. So he let her continue, admiring how she looked up at the ceiling. "It really saved my life. It always astounds me how people say they don't like to read, you know? Language is _powerful_. It's not jut words said in the present, it's rooted in the past and will be reincarnated in the future. It's...." Ashley looked and Andrew and her eyes went wide like a deer's in headlights. "Oh God." She covered her mouth with both hands. "I'm sorry, I'm babbling. Ugh. I'm sorry for nerding out on you."

If that was nerding out, then Andrew was all for it. Inside his chest, he felt something warm coruscate bouncing from nerve to nerve. "No. No, it's ok. It's cool that you think like that. And yeah, I have anxiety too. With people."

"First year of college alway feels like that, doesn't it?" Ashley said, crossing her arms and blowing her bangs out of her face, only for them to end up back in front of her eyes. "I didn't think I'd make any new friends."

"Yeah," Andrew agreed. "Yeah, it' been hard." He looked at the earnest girl and debated whether or not he should tell her about "The Incident." She was still a stranger, this Ashley girl, and he didn't want to scare her by bringing up the fact that his entire family had been....

been...

Well. Now wasn't the time. It _never_ would be the right time. 

Ashley led him to the supernatural section. It was in an alcove, tucked away from the rest of the store. A circular window gave a view of the college town. Coffee shops. Antique stores. The usual hipster places. The whiteness of the November sky was excessively bright. It bled through the window, making the wind chimes composed of crystals that hung from the ceiling tinkle and shine different hues of colors, ranging from deep sea blue to Chrysophase green.

"Here we go," Ashley said, gesturing her hand. "Anything particular you're trying to find?"

Andrew shook his head. "Uh. No. No, just browsing. Thank you...Ashley."

"No problem. 

She started to retreat and it made Andrew look back and forth between the bookcases and her. This girl. The way she talked, the way she looked at him as if he wasn't a total psycho. It made him want her company and to be honest, as much as he looked forward to perusing the books alone like he intended...he didn't want her to leave just yet.

No. Not yet.

"Um, uh, actually Ashley?"

Her head turned. She was at the top of the staircase, her hand on the railing. "Oh. Yeah, what's up?"

Andrew patted his sides, looking at the books and at her, feeling ashamed at pulling her away from her desk. "I actually need help looking for it. It's uh, called "The Wild Magic" by..."

"S. Dutton?" She finished for him, smiling. "One of my favorites." She walked in front of him and stood on her tiptoes in from of the bookshelf. "Ugh. Jeez Louis, these shelves are high."

"Do you need help?"

"Oh no, I got it, I got it." After a series of mini hops, Ashley grabbed the matte black book. "Here you go. It has some really interesting facts about the moon. Like how its a feminine icon and is associated with secrets and intuition."

Ok. Seriously. Where has this girl been all his life? He had to have been dreaming. If she hadn't been standing right there, Andrew would've pinched himself. "Wow. That's cool." Andrew took the book and ran his hand over the sleek cover.

"Right? Is this for a class?"

"No, actually I'm just reading it for...me."

"Gotcha. Well, in that case, I'll leave you to it. And if you have any questions please fill free to..."

Ashley stopped mid sentence because right then and there, a sort of fake imitation of a ghost filled the air. Andrew looked around wildly at the sound. _Whhhhhoooooooooaaaaaaaaa!!!! OOOOOoooooaaaaaaa!_

"What is that?" He said, breathing in and out. His lungs felt like they could burst at any minute or give out. He thought was having one of his episodes. Any second, he expected to hear the sound of an entire home bursting into flames and the screams that followed.

The red head showed no signs of fear at the strange melange of _OOoooohs and Whoooooahs_. Ashley only pinched the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes, shaking her head like a resigned parent. " _That_ is what happens when you let your two _dunderhead_ friends hang with you at work. Chris! Josh! Show's over!"

Coming into the alcove where two guys, Chris and Josh Andrew guessed. "Oh c'mon, Ash. That was _spot_ on." This came from the the blonde guy wearing a green checkered collared shirt with a Ghost Busters T shirt underneath. "You can't tell me that I didn't sounded like a full on specter.

"You know, Cochise, you gotta step your game up, man." The man with the caramel complexion patted the other on the back. His voice reminded Andrew of melted butter, something deep and not exactly _sexy_ , but mischievous. "Me? I'm over here bringing the heebee jeebies meanwhile you're here like Sandman bringing people to sleep."

"Wha-Oh fuck you dude. I am an _ac-tor."_ The blonde man raised his hand as if he was holding an imaginary skull.

Ashley shushed them both with a finger to her lips. "Chris! Language. Guys. I'm with a customer. Do you mind?"

Both boys eyed Andrew as if they didn't know he was there to begin with. "Oh. Hey dude. What's up? I'm Chris. Chris Hartley."

Andrew blinked at first before he realized that he was supposed to shake his hand. "Uh. Andrew. Andrew Clarke."

"Andrew. Nice." Chris slung his arm around the other man who's lazy gaze made Andrew's legs quiver. "And the is my right hand man Josh."

Josh stuck his fist out. "Washington at your service."

This was _way_ too much interaction. Is this what people went through on a daily basis? Andrew formed a fist and, not used to the gesture, nearly missed.

"You a friend of our red head?" Josh said, standing behind Ashley and setting his chin on top of her head. In response, Ashley elbowed him in the ribs.

"Uh. I think?" Andrew looked briefly at Chris who was busy with something on his phone. "I mean, we just met."

"Yeah." Ashley poked Josh in the ribs. "And _I_ was just going back to the front desk so if you don't mind..."

"Whoah. Hold on. Pump the brakes. Put it in park and reverse." Josh looked between Andrew and Ashley in a way that suggested that there was _more_ going on here. "So Ash. You and Andrew here were just up here? Alone?"

"What are you getting at? He's a _customer."_

 _"_ Oh, I'm aware. It' just that. Well. There are two customers downstairs in this rinky dink bookstore and yet," He looked at Andrew and swabbed the inside of his cheek with his tongue. "Here you are escorting Andrew."

Andrew didn't know these people. At all. But if there was one thing he _did_ catch on it was how Ashley and Chris looked at one another then, as if a fire scourged through their eyes, looked away. He knew love when he saw it. Well, rather he knew what it was in reverse because his parents _rarely_ acted all shy and nervous around each other. It was mostly arguing with them and by comparison, Chris and Ashley were newlyweds so to speak.

"Um. Are you implying something here?" Andrew said, slightly irritated, an emotion he rarely felt.

"No, no. Just sayin' that if there was a Pulitzer Prize for handsomest mofo in this place? It'd be you. I see why Ashley decided to help you out."

"Josh, leave him alone." Ashley's beanie was pulled down over her eyes and she lifted the hem of it to speak out. "Andrew, I'm sorry, it's just how he is..unfortunately. Chris, I just met him. Honest"

Chris cleared his throat and pocketed his phone. "Yeah. Yeah of course. I knew that." He turned his attention to Andrew. "One of Josh's _many_ talents is that he doesn't know how to shut up when needed."

Josh sidled next to Andrew and propped his elbow on the detached young man' shoulder. "See what I gotta deal with? Kevin and Winnie over here don't appreciate me at all. And after all I've done for them. Hilarious dialogue. Letting them worship me and the ground that I walk on. Ingrates, I tell ya."

Chris and Ashley moaned in response, the combined noise nothing short of a lawn mower.

Time sucker punched Andrew and he realized he had to get back to campus ASA Now. Daniel and Taylor were probably wondering where he was, as was John. And Angela? Well, maybe. Still was hard to figure her out. "Um. It was nice meeting you all, but I have to get back to my campus."

"Oh, yeah, totally. I'll ring you out." Ashley lead the way, followed by Andrew. Chris and Josh right behind him. The group descended the stairs and regrouped at the front desk. Andrew brought out his wallet, expecting to pay about twenty dollars or so when Ashley laid a warm hand on his.

"On the house." She looked to the other boys who were having a pretend sword fight with the books. "Bookworms like us need to stick together. If we don't, we'll be prone to act like...." She extended her arm to the boys. Chris was on the floor and Josh had his boot on his chest, making a not so well acted _This is Sparta._

"Thank you," Andrew said.

Josh leaned against the front desk, absentmindedly playing with Ashley' hair. "How ya getting back?" He asked. When Ashley swatted his hands away, he rubbed them as if they were stuck in mousetraps.

"Oh. Shuttle. It should be here in a few minutes."

"Well. Anyone who can befriend this loser," he pointed to Ashley, "Is a friend of ours. We'll drop you off."

Andrew clutched his book to his chest, looking among Ashley and Josh and Chris who appeared to be on a different plane. They were _weird_ , but not really? It was like they were _aware_ of their weirdness and used it to an advantage. It was as if it was an incantation and when together, they warded off evil that was in the world. "Are you sure? I don't want to trouble you."

"Nonsense, man." Chris patted Andrew on the back. "Happy to do it. My _whip's_ out front." He straightened his collar, proud of his ride.

Josh crossed his arms and laughed. "Yeah, the raggedy ass white Astro van's fit for a few people. Hope you like monoxide poisoning."

"Chris. I thought you fixed that?" Ashley resumed reading the book she was reading and didn't look up from the pages.

"I _did_." Chris flicked Josh's ear then turned his attention on a nervous Andrew. "It's fixed... _mostly_.....I think....look, we're all good. Kay?"

Andrew nodded, not wanting to screw up whatever this was.

The three boys were out of the door after Ashley called after Chris and Josh to not scare the new guy.

Andrew rode shotgun and Chris drove. Josh was in the back, lying on the shag carpeting. "Might wanna put your seatbelt on Andrew!" He called over the cluttering engine. "With Chris driving, it's a dance with the devil."

"Dude. Shut up. I'm an excellent driver. You're in good hands Andrew."

"Thanks again." Andrew strapped himself in and told him where the campus was. Not too far away. As the van sputtered on the road, and as Chris and Josh got into a trivial debate about MK11 and Rhonda Rhousey's voice acting, Andrew opened his new book. What he didn't expect to find was a phone number and a small note on the inside cover.

414-XXX-XXXX

**Welcome to the Club Andrew! Come back anytime!**

Andrew glanced briefly at Chris, then at Josh in the rearview mirror. Out of all the people in the world to stumble upon, he happened to be in the midst of the weirdest and quite frankly charming trio of people in the world. Ashley. Chris. Josh. Three new people added to his barely breathable universe. For awhile, he tried to keep it tight, to not allow new people to bombarde themselves into his life. He thought Daniel and Taylor were enough. Maybe they were though.

But he supposed he could make room for three more newcomers.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading you guys! If you loved it, please like and share! Hoped you enjoyed it. Follow my other story I haver in progress-A Dork In Shining Armor starring Chris and Jessica!


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